Lieberman fears 'lone wolf' retaliation

Top senators on the Homeland Security Committee worry that the killing of Osama bin Laden might trigger retaliatory attacks, especially by “lone wolf” assailants mobilized by the top terrorist’s death.

“My only great concern in the days ahead is that a so-called lone wolf, a single individual, who has been radicalized, will now mobilize himself or herself to take action here at home against the American people,” Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee said Monday.

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Lieberman emphasized that all relevant federal agencies are “on alert” and “using every tool they have to detect and react” to threats.

“We will continue to monitor and investigate every element of what our government is doing to protect the homeland security of the American people because the enemy is out there and the enemy will continue to try to attack the American people at home, where we live and work,” Lieberman said.

Lieberman told reporters he has spoken with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who will be on the Hill later this week for a series of committee hearings.

Lieberman asked Napolitano whether the terror threat level needed to be raised. The agency didn’t because it has no “specific and credible evidence” of a domestic attack, a requirement under the new threat level system introduced this winter.

But even without the formal alert change, the government is under “unofficial elevated” alert.

The top Republican on the committee, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said that around midnight last night the Department of Homeland Security, in conjunction with the FBI, sent out a “situational awareness alert” to state and local law enforcement officials across the country providing some intelligence information to prepare them for whatever potential threats might arise.

“We must continue to be vigilant. I agree that one of the concerns that I most have is that a homegrown terrorist will choose this moment to strike in an attempt to retaliate for Osama bin Laden’s death,” Collins said. Both she and Lieberman pointed to last year’s Fort Hood shootings, which the committee investigated, as an example of why Americans should be alert to potential threats.

The two senators, whose relationship has been so strong that they like to call themselves co-chairs of the committees, emphasized that the death of bin Laden does not mean the end of the war against terror but its timing — given the revolutions in the Middle East — is telling about the trajectory of global democracy.

“The peaceful youth-driven democratic revolutions, now taking place in Tunisia and Egypt, Libya and Syria are the true repudiation of bin Ladenism. It turns out contrary to what bin Laden prophesied, that his extreme ideology is the weak horse and democracy is the strong horse after all,” Lieberman said, before noting America’s obligation to continue to support the democratic movements in those countries. “To rid our world not only of bin Laden, but bin Ladenism, it is critical that we together now do everything in our power to help the democratic forces in the middle east succeed.”

Lieberman is one of several Senate negotiators working on language for a resolution on Libya. President Barack Obama announced to Congress America’s engagement in the region in March and Congress technically has until a May 20 deadline to authorize the military action if U.S. troops are still present there.